Illinois in the Path of Dangerous Severe Storms in Next 24 Hours

The National Weather Service issued a rare 'high risk' warning for the severe thunderstorms that have been terrorizing the Plains over the past few hours.

What Kind of Severe Weather Could We Get During 'High Risk' Storms

According to the Weather Channel. the NOAA Storm Prediction Center only issues a 'high risk' alert for a thunderstorm system about 2 to 3 days a year whenever meteorologists have high confidence that "either a tornado outbreak or widespread destructive winds are expected."

The 'high risk' alert is the highest level of severity the Storm Prediction Center will issue whenever forecasters are concerned about one of the following severe weather risks, according to the Weather Channel:

A tornado outbreak with numerous intense and long-track tornadoes.
A long-lived derecho-producing thunderstorm complex that includes hurricane-force wind gusts and widespread damage.

Before today (5/6), the last time NOAA issued a "high-risk" forecast was over a year ago on March 31, 2023, and there have only been 8 days they considered "high-risk" since 2015, according to the Weather Channel.

When Will Rockford Area and Chicagoland Get Severe Thunderstorms?

The National Weather Service says the severe thunderstorms will move into the Rockford area early Tuesday morning (5/7) and continue throughout the day.

According to the Weather Channel, rain will start in Rockford around 4 am and turn to thunderstorms by 6 am so the morning commute could be hazardous with heavy rain and strong winds.

There's a 100 percent chance of Thunderstorms on Tuesday (5/7) morning, then scattered storms through the afternoon. The Weather Channel says "gusty winds and small hail" are possible with these storms.

Get our free mobile app

In Chicago, the rain is expected to begin around 6 am Tuesday (5/7) and then will become severe thunderstorms for the rest of the morning commute and scattered thunderstorms through 4 pm.